Unscheduled Reboot
by Casey 'Flame' Wolfe
Summary: No one else may have seen it, but there was a different side to Merit than what he showed to the world- a person who was full of laughter and life. Kilo had seen it and, if he were being honest, had fallen in love with it. Slash. Kilo/Merit.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know my loyal readers are probably going "What the heck is this?" Well, i****f you happen to be curious, you don't necessarily **_**have **_**to have knowledge of the game Syndicate- although it would certainly help. But, I've included a brief overview of the setting for those who don't but wish to read the story anyway. Those of you who are Syndicate fans, this is an alternate ending to the game. Enjoy! P.S. The cover photo is artwork done by the wonderful MaxShtieR on Deviantart.**

* * *

_2069 - No longer governed by politicians, the developed world is divided up into regions controlled by mega corporations known as syndicates. These syndicates have revolutionized how people interact with the digital world. No longer does the consumer require a device to access the world's data and control their technology, they can do this at the blink of an eye via neural chip implant._

_Civilians flocked to be "chip'd" and enjoy all that their selected syndicate has to offer: housing, medical, banking, insurance, education, entertainment and jobs. One complete package. One complete lifestyle. In return, the syndicates gained unprecedented insights, and control, over the individual and their behavior. With little governmental oversight, business has become war- the syndicates will stop at nothing for ultimate market dominance._

_At the front line of this war are the agents, the syndicate's bio-engineered and chip-augmented enforcers. They can hack anything in the wired dataverse, including their enemies, their weapons and the environment that surrounds them, making them the most efficient and deadly technological weapons in the world.__–Paraphrased __from the o__fficial game website_

* * *

"Merit…" Kilo barely whispered it, looking at the battered body lying under him. "Merit!" Hazel eyes flickered closed and Kilo cursed. His DART chip scanned the other agent's body, finding that he was still alive, even if his vitals didn't look too good.

Kilo only had one choice- he had to hurry up and finish this if he was going to get back to Merit in time to help him. Anyone who would have heard his thoughts probably would have called him insane. After all, he'd just spent the past five minutes or so trying not to be killed by this very man. But Kilo knew…

It was the chip. That wasn't Merit that had attacked him. Oh sure, Merit was a grade A asshole and the man himself would laugh and agree with that assessment- no apologies. He saw the blank look in Merit's eyes as he followed orders without choice, all because of the chip, the same chip that was in his own head. If it weren't for Lily's intervention, Kilo himself would have likely been forced into killing Merit once the other agent had broken out of Eurocorp control.

Kilo had watched Merit come back to his own mind. His eyes had been white with fury, when his face suddenly softened and he blinked in confusion as his hazel eyes settled into their normal gaze. He'd swayed from his injuries and breaking such a strong control, falling over before Kilo could catch him.

"Hang in there Merit," Kilo spoke, brushing dark brown hair from his face. "I'll be back, ok?" Kilo hesitated, but urged himself to move. He needed to finish this and nothing was left in his way to get to the CEO office where he could confront Jack Denham.

As he rode the elevator up a level, Kilo tried to push the images of Merit's broken form from his mind. He hoped beyond hope that the man could be healed. No one else may have seen it, but there was a different side to Merit than what he showed to the world- a person who was full of laughter and life. Kilo had seen it and, if he were being honest, had fallen in love with it.

If he didn't survive this, if Merit didn't survive, well, Kilo would never have a chance to tell him that.

He moved down the hall toward Denham's office with renewed purpose. Though as he approached, his chip fizzled violently, causing him to stumble as his vision blurred and pain flared through his head and down his spine. Whatever Lily had equipped him with to avoid Eurocorp's control was starting to crack.

His chip was being hacked. The system was shutting down. "No!" Kilo cried, refusing to break. Merit was counting on him to return. He wrapped an arm around his ribs, willing himself to keep breathing, to keep going. A hand found the wall and he used it to help keep him moving.

Kilo stumbled into Jack's office, seeing how it was torn apart. A section of the office blown away in the attack from a rival Syndicate that was still ongoing. "Goddamnit Kilo," Jack scolded. "I gave you everything, didn't I? I took you away from those dregs you called parents. I opened the doors in your head. I gave you the Heights. This is how you repay me?"

Denham was still acting so self-righteous, acting like he'd actually done Kilo a favor. How was murdering someone's parents and kidnapping them a _favor? _How was using them for chip experimentation without their permission or knowledge a _favor_? Oh, Jack may have taken him in, raised him, given him a good home, a good education, but he wouldn't have had need of any of that had he just been left alone in the first place.

As Kilo cursed the man in front of him, Denham had continued to go on- about Lily, about the damage done to Eurocorp. Kilo didn't care. He needed to end this- end _him_- once and for all.

"I made you Kilo," Jack taunted. "I had you custom wired for a purpose, and I can pull your _fucking plug _like any other machine."

A flash of white light came from behind his eyes and Kilo clasped his head as he tried to focus, to keep his balance. _"Kilo?" _his DART chip AI asked, concern in her feminine voice. He heard her pain as the system fried and soon she was screaming inside his mind. Kilo fell to the ground, seeing the world in a red haze.

He wasn't listening to what Denham was going on about, his vision fading with his hearing. _I'm sorry, Merit…_

As the darkness surrounded him, he could hear a male voice in his head. It was a familiar caress as normal as his DART chip. _"Don't die on me now, Kilo," _it said. Somehow, Kilo managed to open his eyes.

He stood, making eye contact with Denham, seeing the acceptance of the inevitable as he approached. The elder man shook his head, backing up to the edge where his office floor had given way. Rather than face Kilo and anything he may have wanted to do, the man simply held his arms out to the side and fell back over the edge. Kilo watched him, taking pleasure in the sound of broken bones and the wet splat.

Without emotion, he turned away, finding someone else walking into the office- Lily Drawl. "Sorry Kilo… Guess you got used again." The agent growled at her as he approached. She'd lied about the kill switch that Denham had, or at least manipulated the truth. Sure enough she admitted, "I needed you up here to take Denham down. But I cut your DART loose from Eurocorp back in the Downzone. They can't touch you now."

So… No more control. It wasn't Lily's "preventive software" that had protected him from the corporation's manipulation- from Denham's. He had really had the connection severed all along. It probably had saved him from killing Merit. _Merit!_

"I wonder what you'll do now that you don't have any orders," Lily mused, offering him his pistol back that he'd loaned her during the storming of the tower.

He took it and then grabbed her wrist. "Merit," he answered. "We need to get to Merit. He needs your help."

"Merit?" she scoffed, raising a brow. Being in the position that she'd been in with Eurocorp, she was familiar with all the agents, but intimately so with the top ones like Merit and Kilo. He himself had been Lily's "pet project" and with Merit being his partner quite a bit, she'd suffered through his presence regularly- that, and he had the habit of getting hurt. "Why would I help him? He's a sociopath."

"He's my friend!" Kilo bellowed, getting into her face. "And you owe me." He squeezed onto her wrist, a bit of threat behind it.

"Fine," she grunted. "But we're even after this." Kilo nodded curtly, letting her go and not wasting any more time as he swept past her and out the door.

* * *

Jogging over to Merit's downed form, the younger agent frowned. Kilo's DART chip- which was awake again and good as new- assured that he still was showing signs of life. "We need to get him fixed up," he told Lily. "You can deal with his chip? Break it free from control like mine?"

She looked at him skeptically, but his harsh glare was enough to make her bite back whatever she was about to say. Sighing, Lily nodded. "I can't promise I can save him. He looks pretty bad, and his mind may not be able to make the reconnections. But," she held up her hands before he could argue, "I'll try."

Kilo nodded in acceptance, grabbing hold of the injured man's chin gently. "Merit, just hang in there, alright? We're gonna get you outta here." He hadn't been expecting a response, but when the brunette didn't even twitch, Kilo's frown deepened.

Pulling Merit up, he draped the man across his shoulders to help distribute the weight. "Let's get out of here," he ordered Lily. He didn't even look back to see if she was following, already knowing she would as she didn't want to face the consequences.

"_Agent Merit's chip is back online," _his own DART informed. Kilo didn't even think about it before ordering the hack into Merit's mind. It went against a certain form of trust, he knew, but Kilo didn't have much of a choice with the shape the other man was in. Merit had no resistance, and he breached the chip easily.

As they made their way towards a helicopter that was still intact, Kilo informed the scientist of his actions. "I have more detailed vitals- both physical and tech." He laid Merit out carefully, explaining what he knew as he prepped for take-off. Lily took in all the data, started to clean up the physical damage. She wouldn't be able to work on his chip until they were back in the Downzone- the area cut off by Eurocorp's technology decades previous that was now a poverty-stricken area of filth.

They slipped out of the area, the invading syndicate focused more on their current targets than them. It was just as well, as Kilo was in no shape to fight, and their transportation was non-assault- which was probably why it was still in one piece. He sighed heavily, trying to pilot while sifting through two sets of chip data.

"_Kilo," _that same voice he'd heard in Denham's office, the one that had woken him, was reaching out again in his mind.

"_I'm here Merit," _he assured.

"_Please don't leave me Kilo," _the agent managed to convey before his chip went down once more.

"Shit," Kilo cursed. They weren't far from Lily's hidden lab, and Kilo prayed that they would make it in time. If most of the Eurocorp tower hadn't been destroyed, perhaps they could have taken him to their own labs. But then, Kilo wasn't sure he'd trust plugging Merit into Eurocorp's systems, not when there was a chance Merit would lose himself again. If they didn't hurry though, Merit would lose more than his mind… He'd lose his life.

* * *

It had been three days- three very _long _days- since they had arrived at Lily's Downzone lab. Merit was hooked into the system, pretty much like a battery recharging, as Lily sifted through all the damage to his chip. The physical damage, which included some pretty nasty bruised ribs and a couple bullet holes, were all taken care of by Kilo. He frowned at the wounds he knew he had been responsible for inflicting.

He hadn't left Merit's side much, sitting beside him and holding his hand. Occasionally he got up to stretch his legs or use the restroom from drinking far too much coffee. He fell asleep there, awakening with a stiff neck and back, but he couldn't leave his partner. It was day three though that Lily forced him to go get some real sleep.

* * *

"_Incoming transmission from Agent Merit," _his DART chip announced. Kilo groaned, muttering a few curses as his sleep was interrupted. It took a moment before he realized what he'd been told, whose voice he was now hearing in his head. His eyes darted open and he could see the vocal waves in the corner of his eye, hearing the voice of a distraught agent.

Kilo was stumbling out of bed, pulling his shirt on while he was attempting to get out the door at the same time. _"Where's Kilo!?" _Merit was demanding again. _"I wanna know where Kilo is!"_

"_Calm down Agent Merit," _Lily's voice tried to reason. Kilo skidded around the corner of the hall, sliding down the railing of the stairs.

"_You can go fuck yourself," _Merit growled out. _"What have you done with Kilo?!"_

Said agent came flying into the lab, seeing Merit was trying to break his bonds but still too weak to do so. "Merit!" Kilo cried, drawing the man's attention.

"Kilo!" The relief on his face was plain to see.

"I'm here," he assured, grabbing hold of Merit's hand out of habit. "Just relax ok? Try not to move. You took a lot of damage and you need to just chill until we know your chip's alright."

It took Merit a moment, but he nodded, muscles unclenching as he sank back into the reclined chair. His hazel eyes danced up to meet Kilo's own dark orbs. "What's going on?" he asked, exhaustion seeping into his voice. He'd gotten an adrenaline spike when he woke in this strange location, but it was wearing off now that he felt relatively safe. The fact Merit trusted him that much…

"Eurocorp was attacked," he answered cryptically. "Denham's dead. You… You almost died on me there Merit."

The elder agent frowned. His eyes danced across the room, scowling at Lily who was tapping away on her computer, looking at the readings now that Merit was conscious again. "Where are we? This isn't Eurocorp."

"Observant as always," Lily commented dryly. "You're in the Downzone. You and Kilo show up at Eurocorp and you're as good as dead."

Merit's eyes flicked back to the man that had been his partner on so many missions. "What's she talkin' 'bout Kilo?"

"Technically, I think you'd be fine. Me on the other hand? Well, we know about the kill orders." Kilo looked away, not wanting to see the other's eyes watching him so closely. He sighed, knowing he should just get it all out in the open. However, he wasn't expecting it to all come out in a rush. He told Merit everything, about what Denham did and what he planned to do, the fact his chip was freed of Eurocorp control thanks to Lily, and finally how Merit tried to kill him as he fought his way through former colleagues to get to Jack.

Merit looked at him in shock. "I… I tried to kill you?" His brows furrowed, visibly trying to search his memory.

"You were being forced, Merit."

That didn't seem to satisfy him though. "Show me," he demanded, face set in a straight line.

"That's not a good-"

"Kilo!" Merit squeezed his hand and the younger gasped. He hadn't realized he was still holding it and tried to pull away, feeling his face heating up, but Merit held firm, eyes piercing into him.

Caving, Kilo sighed and nodded. His DART chip linked with Merit's, no need for access permissions, zero blocks up. Kilo wondered if they were down due to Lily's tinkering, or if Merit simply left himself open so willingly to his connection. The thought of the latter made him warm inside, but he pushed those feelings away lest the possibility of the other agent picking up on it.

His chip easily pulled up the footage of the fight, as though it were simply a file on a computer. Kilo played it, knowing the other man was seeing it in the corner of his own eyes like a movie.

_Merit fired the gatling gun, Kilo cursing as he ducked behind the cooling units he'd hacked just in time to make them rise from the ground. "Merit!" he cried, gripping his assault rifle tighter than necessary. "It's me! Snap out of it!"_

_Kilo peeked over the cover when the fire stopped, only to have it start again as Merit came closer trying to flank him. Hacking another cooling unit, he dashed for it, bullets nipping at his heels. "Fuck." Kilo's breath was heavier as he tried to come up with a plan- something, anything, so he wouldn't have to do what it was looking like he'd have to._

"_Please, Merit!" he yelled again. "Please don't make me do this!"_

_The cooling unit he was hiding behind started to go back down, breached by Merit. Kilo cursed, raising his gun and firing three quick rounds. Two were stopped by his armor, the last slipping by and nailing him in the shoulder. Merit growled, momentarily distracted, and Kilo booked it across the room, hoping to make the elevator._

_Of course, the hail of bullets stopped him. Glass shattered around him as he continued to run, trying desperately to find cover. He fired blind, just to attempt and make Merit put his head down, but he heard a curse as he was clearly hit again- which later turned out to be his hip._

_When Kilo got cover once more, he tried to slow his breathing, refocus. Merit cursed as the gun jammed, and rather than fix it, he could hear the agent tossing it aside as he approached. "Please," Kilo pleaded quietly._

_He popped out as Merit got within range, nailing him with a right hook that sent him reeling. Merit didn't hesitate when he lunged for him, slamming into him so hard it sent him through the wall into another room. Kilo's vision blurred and Merit was on him like an animal. He grabbed Kilo by the throat, giving him a few good hits._

_Kilo struggled, lashing out with some hits and kicks of his own. He was looking into Merit's eyes. "Mer… rit," he croaked, hands trying to pry off the one at his neck._

_Then Merit's eyes changed…_

When Merit collapsed to the floor, Kilo tried to end the memory but he felt the backfeed from the other's chip. Before he could protest, Merit was playing the rest of it.

He was yelling Merit's name, and Kilo winced at the desperation he heard in his own voice. Then came a part he hadn't even remembered, and he flushed in embarrassment. _"Hang in there Merit," Kilo spoke, brushing the hair from his face. "I'll be back, ok?" _It was lingering and so intimate. After that, Kilo had gone after Denham, and seeing it was over, Merit let the rest of the memories of that day lie.

When Kilo looked at the other man, he saw Merit had a thoughtful expression on his face. He glanced down at their joined hands, thumb brushing over Kilo's knuckles absentmindedly. "I'm sorry, Kilo," he whispered, and the younger agent could have died from shock.

Somehow managing to shake his head, Kilo replied, "Nothin' to be sorry for. That wasn't you."

"Still…" He grunted in defeat.

"Well, you won't have to worry about that anymore," Lily announced. "The control from Eurocorp is now…" She tapped a few more things into her console. "Gone." She looked over to them. "Merit's just as free as you now Kilo. I believe that makes us even."

"Once you make sure everything else with his chip's ok," Kilo replied firmly. He didn't need to remind the doctor that Merit had an older model chip and how only a few weeks prior he'd had a really close call when he got chip feedback from a rival syndicate agent. He'd been damn lucky it hadn't fried completely.

Lily heaved a sigh like she was being put out, but nodded all the same. "I was able to do a majority of scans while he was out. The connections are all still fine, swelling has gone down, and he's healing well." She tapped a button. "He's showing good cognitive function…"

"That's a surprise," Kilo quipped, feeling Merit squeeze his hand.

"Funny, Kilo," he gruffed out.

Ignoring them, Lily continued her assessment. "Chip is still running on basic function mode. He needs more sleep to recharge. What _is _running is working just fine. Whether or not he'll still be able to use higher level hacks or features is questionable. We won't know until he's back to full power and can test him."

"Then we test him in a couple days, see what's what, and then we're out of your hair."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Great. Can't wait." As the doctor was leaving, she added, "I'm holding you responsible if he does anything to my lab Kilo."

The agent just ignored her, working to undo Merit's bindings. It was just as well he'd agreed to let Lily put them on, otherwise Merit would have been likely to tear the place apart when he woke up demanding to see Kilo. _That _thought made him smile softly, knowing Merit had been worried about him.

"What?" Merit asked, and Kilo blinked, looking at him questioningly. "You're smiling," he explained. "What're you thinkin' about?"

Kilo shrugged, stepping back to let the other man up while staying close in case he stumbled. "Just picturin' you tearin' the lab apart." Merit smirked at that, clearly thinking over the idea and liking it. "And no you may not," Kilo quickly added, starting to walk out, certain that his partner would follow.

Sure enough, Merit trailed him without a word into the kitchen. Kilo pulled a bottle of water from the fridge for each of them, and then swiped a few protein bars from the cupboard. "Come on," he spoke, jerking his head to the side. "Time to sleep so we can get the hell outta here."

Accepting the water and food bars, Merit muttered, "Amen to that."


	2. Chapter 2

"Kilo?" It was barely a whisper at the edge of his consciousness. "Kilo?"

The young agent opened his eyes, looking over to find Merit on his own twin bed, watching him closely. "Merit?" Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he propped himself up on his other forearm. "Everything alright?"

He nodded. "You were talking in your sleep."

"Sorry," Kilo offered. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"Was already up," the senior agent admitted. He sat up slowly, swinging his legs down to the floor. "Couldn't really sleep." He looked over at Kilo carefully. "Anything you need to talk about?"

Kilo blinked and shook his head. "Don't remember what I was dreaming to be honest." He sat up then, moving on his bed so his back was against the wall, legs splayed out. He watched his partner closely, noting the tired look on his face. "Was there something _you _wanted to talk about?"

Merit huffed, laughing a bit. "Probably too much to count," he replied, his voice holding that husky gravel quality that Kilo loved. How many times had he secretly enjoyed just listening to the man's voice over their chip-link during missions? Thinking that, Kilo cleared his throat quietly, tucking one leg up under his thigh in attempt to hide that particular bit of information.

If Merit noticed, he thankfully said nothing. Rather, he hung his head into his hands, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward. "I've been… been sorting through all these memories. When Drawl cut the control from Eurocorp, it was like an unlock switch. I… I've been seeing things I don't ever remember happening to me. Yet they must have."

"Your true memories are back," Kilo confirmed.

"So, what Denham did to you…" Merit ventured, looking up to meet the other agent's gaze. "Stealing you, fucking with your memories…?"

"He did that to all of us," Kilo answered softly. "Well, at least the memories, giving us all pasts of his own creation." He looked to the older man, wondering, "Did he steal you too then?"

Merit shook his head. "Well, at least not like he did you apparently." The thought that Kilo's parents had been murdered just so Jack could get his hands on such a "perfect genetic specimen" was disgusting. "Jersey Downzone," he explained. "I was five, living on the streets, no family."

Kilo frowned, only being able to imagine how scared and alone Merit must have felt. To know that he had no one there for him, that he had to survive on his own. No wonder Merit had turned out the way he had. Even if Jack had provided him new memories, those experiences, those emotions were buried there in his subconscious mind. He'd had to fight every second of every day most likely. Giving someone like Merit the power they wielded with their militarized chips? It was asking for trouble. No wonder his file labeled him a borderline psychopath.

"I'm sorry," Kilo ended up whispering.

"Nothin' worse than what you were put through."

They settled into amicable silence for a while. Both were comfortable with the other's presence. Heck, it was hard to remember a time when the two of them _weren't _with the other. Being paired for so many missions had a way of bonding people- especially with the things they saw and did.

Kilo was nineteen when he was put into the field, but he'd been in training long before that. He remembered watching Merit and some of the other more senior agents running trials. He'd admired the way Merit moved- he was confident and had a certain grace. There was a fire behind his eyes as he worked, and the slightest twitch of his lips into a smirk when he knew he'd performed well.

The day they officially met was his first day being given an assignment, and Merit was sent along as an advisor and watchdog to make sure Kilo made it through relatively unscathed. They'd worked in sync from the beginning, which didn't escape Denham's attention, and they ended up going out on more and more missions together.

When Kilo was chosen to receive the experimental DART 6 chip upgrade- Lily's pet project- he'd watched the mix of emotions pass through Merit's hazel eyes- anger at not being the one, but also pride, and even some worry. He ruffled Kilo's ebony hair, smirking at him. "Congrats kid," he said. "You just make it through in one piece, ok?"

That seemed like so long ago, when it had in fact only been a couple months. Going through all the tests, adjusting to the new software... Merit had stuck closer than usual, watching over him like a hawk- both in and out of the field. Then again, Kilo had been no better after Merit had gotten the chip feedback during their infiltration of the Aspari research facility. He hated seeing Merit broken- something about that image didn't sit right with Kilo.

"Kilo?" Looking back at Merit, he saw the older male gazing at him thoughtfully. "When were you gonna tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Kilo's stomach sank, hoping it wasn't what he was thinking.

Merit didn't reply, rather Kilo saw in the corner of his eye some codes as the other agent connected their chips. Instead of saying it, he showed him- the same images from Kilo's memory that he had let the agent view downstairs. _"Hang in there Merit," Kilo spoke, brushing dark brown hair from his face, fingers lingering before traveling down his jaw. "I'll be back, ok?" _

Kilo knew he was blushing, and bit his lip. Thank goodness Merit wouldn't be able to see it in the dim light. Kilo wasn't sure how to answer, uncertain what the other man's reaction would be. What if Merit was disgusted by his feelings? He would be throwing away a perfectly good friendship by being a selfish ass.

Apparently Merit wasn't waiting for a reply, new images popping up in front of Kilo. By the code in the corner, these were from Merit's own memory stores. He was unsure what the other man wanted to show him until he saw himself through Merit's eyes.

_Kilo was sparring with another agent, and he didn't miss the way Merit's eyes traveled over his body, almost appreciatively, taking in his lean built form in just a tee-shirt and cargo pants- standard issue gear. Merit leaned against the wall, simply watching the fight. Kilo was moving with fluid grace, and easily overtook his opponent- a veteran agent with more years in the field than the pair combined._

"_Way to go Kilo!" Merit barked out, clapping a couple times._

_Kilo, who hadn't seen him come in, looked over at him and rolled his eyes, but there was a slight smile on his face. "You want next?" he asked, going for his water._

_Merit approached, eyes raking over him again as he was taking a long chug. He smirked as Kilo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Actually, we've got a new mission," he replied casually, reaching out to brush some sweat-damp hair from the younger man's face. "Why don't you gear up and meet me for a brief?"_

"_Yeah, sure." Kilo hesitated a moment, but then grabbed his things to head out, Merit watching him go._

Kilo remembered that encounter, recalled how his heart skipped a beat and he had to remind himself to breathe and not react. But Merit wasn't done. The memory continued as his partner picked up a discussion from some other agents in the training room.

"_Someone oughtta take him down a peg or two," one grumbled. "Damn kid's gotta have an ego the size of the Atlantic the way Denham favors him."_

"_Sure can throw a punch though," another replied._

_A third humph'd. "Well, when you get the best upgrades, best training, best missions… I guess you'd have to. Just a spoiled brat is all."_

_Merit growled, having been stalking closer to the group. A couple had the sense to scramble out of the way, but his main targets didn't see it coming. He threw one across the room, watching him skid along the floor before impacting the wall. Another ended up kicked in the chest when he tried intervening. The one who had spoken last was snagged by the scruff of the neck and slammed face first into the lockers._

"_Kilo gets the best because he's damn good at what he does," Merit hissed. "If you were _half _the agent he was, then maybe you'd know that!" He knocked his head into the locker and there was the crunch of bones as the guy's nose broke._

_Merit dropped him, growling as he looked around at all the agents milling about. They were all staring at the senior agent- the younger ones in surprise, the other more knowledgeable weren't. "Anyone else got anything to say?!" When no one replied, he snorted. "That's what I thought."_

_Leaving the training hall, Merit was fuming, and he didn't seem to calm until he spotted Kilo. He was dressed in his full gear, long black leather trenchcoat wrapping around him, his black mask covering his nose and mouth. Dark eyes danced over to Merit as he heard his name called._

"_Ready when you are," Kilo assured. His brows furrowed into worry lines though as he took him Merit's body language. "You ok?" he asked in concern._

_Merit instantly deflated, just looking at Kilo a moment. He stepped into the younger's space, wrapping one arm around his shoulders to pull him into a half hug. It only lasted half a minute, but it was more intimate contact than was usual to either man. _

"_Come on," he gruffed out, coughing to cover up the awkwardness of the situation. "Let's go."_

The memory stopped, and Kilo blinked a few times. That… that hadn't been what he expected. So, did that mean…? He looked up, meeting Merit's gaze. There was a heated look in his eyes, one Kilo recognized as one that usually only work brought out.

It was the elder agent that moved, coming over to kneel on the bed in the space left between Kilo's legs. "Miles…" he murmured, causing Kilo's heart to skip a beat. He couldn't recall when Merit had ever used his first name- outside of a full name scolding- and he loved the way it rolled off his tongue.

Kilo couldn't move, and his breath hitched as Merit raised a hand to cup his cheek. He was pinned in place, unable to get his body to respond. His eyes locked with hazel depths as Merit leaned in, the pair sharing the same air. They stayed that way for a minute, just looking at each other, Merit's thumb running over his cheekbone.

It was Kilo that made the final move, leaning in to place his lips to Merit's. The agent responded by pressing closer. The kiss was warm and deep. Finally getting his body to move, Kilo reached out, grabbing hold of the other's shirt to pull him in closer. Merit went willingly, angling his head to deepen the kiss.

Hands traveled down Kilo's sides and he uncurled his one leg, opening himself fully to the other man. Merit only pressed closer, bodies slotting together. A tongue flicked out, asking for entrance and Kilo gave to him without hesitation.

They broke apart for air, only for Merit to start kissing down his jaw to his neck. He nipped a few times before latching into his pulse point, sucking on his neck. Kilo gasped at the sensation, eyes widening in surprise. Then he started to moan, pressing wantonly into Merit, nails digging into his shoulders.

"Been watching you, Miles," he spoke lowly near his ear. He'd watched how Kilo filled out over the years, building muscle, becoming more fluid with his movements. There was a moment, one he could remember so clearly in his mind, when he had realized that he wanted more from Kilo than just his friendship, and he decided to show the other agent just when that was- a memory more powerful than any words.

_They were at the outdoor range setup for rifle practice. Merit had always been excellent with a rifle and could pick a target off at 1,000 yards easily. He needed to get Kilo up to speed. He was good with a gun, but a sniper rifle was a different story._

_They'd been at it for a bit, both men stretched out on their stomachs, putting lead down range. Kilo wasn't doing so hot and his corrections weren't even being dialed in right. Merit sighed, shaking his head. He scooted over, putting an arm on the other side of Kilo, draping his body partially overtop of his so he could help him._

_It hadn't registered at the time, but later Merit realized Kilo had stiffened. There was a sharp intake of breath at the intimate contact, and the younger agent was trying to control his breathing._

_They worked that way for a bit, Merit soaking into the warmth of Kilo's body. When the younger managed to hit the target dead on, he cried out in triumph, propped up onto his elbows. He looked at Merit, a bright grin on his face that made Merit's heart skip a beat. They were so close, and Kilo looked so amazing, lost in the ecstasy of the moment._

Now the raven-haired agent was glowing for a different reason, and Merit was the cause. He moaned softly, nuzzling into Merit's neck. Kilo had probably been in love with the brunette for years now- he simply _was, _he didn't know of a time when he wasn't. To share such an intimate memory with Merit, to see the exact moment he'd felt the same…

Their lips crashed together again, Kilo swallowing the soft wanting noises the other made. They tugged at each other's clothes, shirts finding the floor before Merit started for Kilo's sleep pants. Not that the younger agent was cooperating, fingers digging into Merit's hip bones that he'd just revealed, dragging him closer.

Just then, a feminine voice spoke in his head. _"Current course of action is not recommended due to Agent Merit's injuries." _Kilo groaned in frustration, slumping back against the wall. "Seriously?" Merit was looking at him questioningly, and he repeated what his chip said.

It was Merit's turn to groan, head falling to Kilo's shoulder. "Cock-blocked by a damn chip?"

Kilo chuckled at that, fingers coming up to run through Merit's unruly hair. It was weird having an AI talking to him, a new feature of the DART 6 chip that was inside his head. The older models, like the DART 5 Merit was equipped with, only gave visual alerts with audio alarms and pings. Kilo was missing that blissful silence about then, but he had to admit the chip had a point.

"We have plenty of time, Jules," Kilo assured.

Merit made a happy humming sound, nuzzling into his collarbone. "Like you sayin' my name."

Kilo placed a brief kiss to the other's temple and smiled softly. It was rare he ever used it, but if Merit liked it… "I'll say it more then." He tugged at the elder's arm. "Let's get some sleep." They both needed it.

He went willingly, laying on his side and pulling Kilo in until they lay flush chest to chest. Merit's arm was slung protectively around the other's waist and Kilo curled into his embrace. "Night, Jules," he murmured.

"Night Miles," Merit replied, giving him one last kiss- just a brief brush of lips- before snuggling in closer, if it were even possible.

For once, the two men who spent a majority of their lives dealing with pain and death, fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

Two days passed before Merit became restless. He wanted to leave, and Kilo couldn't blame him. Initial scans showed his chip and body had recovered enough for him to attempt using his higher-level functions like breaching. All that was left to do was test them.

"There's a training area," Lily offered, and Kilo knew it was where the members of TWB had trained- the terrorist cell that Lily had co-run, just one arm of a larger organization looking to take down the syndicates.

Kilo shook his head though. The other agent wasn't ready to run physical drills- they just had to test his DART. He looked at Merit and said, "Try to breach my chip." Merit had a conflicted look on his face at that idea. "All my firewalls, encryptions, everything's up," Kilo continued, walking towards him. "Breach my chip, and we'll know yours works just fine."

"Don't wanna hurt you Kilo," he replied softly.

He sighed. "Just do it Merit. You wanna get outta here, don't you?"

Merit gave a nod that was barely detectable. The younger agent was right- if he could hack into the upgraded chip Kilo had then there was no doubt all of Merit's breaching abilities were functioning just fine. Apologizing in advance, Merit set up a standard breach, only looking for access, not manipulation.

Kilo saw the hack attempt in the corner of his vision. As expected, it failed. "Again," he told the other agent. Once more, it failed. "That all you got, Merit?" he goaded, trying to get him to pull it together. He knew Merit could do it- his chip just needed to get with the program. Merit growled, this time being successful.

"_Breach detected," _his DART confirmed. Before Kilo could throw up a secondary firewall, he felt the hack hit him hard, and he cried out, knees buckling.

"Damnit Kilo!" Merit cursed, clearing the space between them to steady him. "I told you I didn't wanna hurt ya." Arms wrapped around him, and Kilo could feel a caress in his mind. _"Sorry Miles," _Merit transmitted through the chip-link.

"_S'ok, Jules… I trust you."_ Kilo could practically _feel_ Merit's mind reeling at that, and the other agent pulled out of their connection, as well as breaking their physical one. Was it honestly that surprising to Merit? They'd had each other's backs for years. There was no one Kilo had ever trusted more in the field- and out- than Merit.

Lily was frowning at the readouts she was receiving regarding their test. "There's no way you should have been able to do that," she complained. "That chip was designed to be unbreachable." She scowled at the data she was looking at.

"Is he fully functional?" Kilo asked, ignoring her bruised ego.

"Yes, I'd say that goes without saying." She looked between them, settling on Kilo. "We're even now."

"Even," Kilo confirmed, then to Merit, he asked, "Shall we go?" The brunette nodded and they turned to leave.

Pausing, Merit mused, "Almost forgot to say goodbye." He turned to Lily with a smirk. "Where're our manners Kilo?"

Said agent lashed out with his DART, breaching into Lily's chip. It caused a massive feedback, temporarily disabling all systems and bringing her to her knees. The agents approached her, and she tried to speak, but her basic motor functions wouldn't work either. Each brought up a pistol, aimed straight for her head. "_Now_ we're even," Kilo spoke. Lily's eyes widened just as both triggers were pulled.

Merit stood over her body, watching her blood flowing out to stain the floor, her eyes looking back lifelessly. Kilo could care less, having stepped right over the corpse to download all her research data before wiping out her system.

Lily had it coming. She tried to play like she was better than Denham, better than the other Syndicates, but she wasn't- she had used her position to control Kilo for her own ends, just like Jack. Simply because she didn't pull the trigger that killed his parents didn't make her any less guilty in his eyes.

"Ready?" Merit inquired. Kilo nodded. There was nothing left at this makeshift lab for them and they had everything they'd arrived with.

As they stepped out of the rundown building, Merit offered his hand to the younger agent. "Come on Kilo," he said, a fond expression on his face. Kilo slid his hand into Merit's, smiling softly in return.

Without much of a plan, the pair slipped into the darkness of the Downzone.


	3. Chapter 3

Even after nearly a week since the attack on Eurocorp, the Heights were still in disarray. It was most likely the only reason they got away with getting in and out without being intercepted by any company agents or police. Kilo was still wanted by the corporation as a defector, and no doubt as they were taking a tally of losses Merit would come up as MIA, presumed dead when they couldn't reach his chip.

They slipped into the apartment building near headquarters. It had been heavily hit, though it being mostly occupied by Eurocorp personnel made for a good target. They emptied Merit's apartment first, surprised he still had access- but then again, Eurocorp had more important things to try and sort out, like the death of their CEO, than to worry about who still had access to what.

Of course, they weren't so lucky with Kilo's apartment two floors up. But then, it was no issue to hack into it. The plush apartment hadn't been touched and Kilo left his partner in the livingroom to gather his clothes and weapons, the only things he would need. Merit had done the same, neither of them really having any sort of personal effects- their lives had been Eurocorp.

They were in and out under half an hour without anyone the wiser. All the same, they didn't want to stick around and slipped away towards a smaller neighborhood just outside the Downzone.

Before they left the relative safety of the Downzone- safe in the sense that there was no monitoring there like the rest of the city, having been cut off from all advanced tech by Eurocorp- they had formed a simple plan of their immediate movements where they couldn't be heard. They would have been _returning _to the Downzone, but Merit wasn't having any of it. He was used to the Heights, and going all the way to the other end of the spectrum to live in the complete poverty and slums of the Downzone was in no way appealing- that, and he didn't want to go entirely "off the grid," though the proximity would allow them to do just that should they need to.

On their way to the middle class neighborhood they'd picked, Merit stopped off at the bank, taking out as much as he could without making it too suspicious. It was unlikely Eurocorp would freeze his account. Should they find him- more like _when _they found him- he could simply throw a resignation at them so they would leave him alone. As long as no one looked into it too much then it would work just fine.

Kilo, on the other hand, had his account frozen the second Denham had marked him for extermination. That left him with nothing to his name, and completely dependent on Merit. He wasn't sure he liked that idea, and didn't want to be such a burden. It didn't faze the brunette in the least, and when he watched Kilo's sullen expression as they left the bank he simply wrapped an arm around his shoulders and nuzzled his cheek.

"You're mine, Miles," he murmured, voice dropping into a lower octave, accenting the gravel quality and causing Kilo to shiver. "Lemme take care of you." Kilo could only nod, having no idea what to say.

They found a nice motel, checking in for a week, knowing they could always add more time later. It was only a temporary stop- "out of sight, out of mind" from Eurocorp- until they could decide what they wanted to do now that they were free.

They each set their pair of bags on the floor- one for clothes, one for guns. It was probably sad that they each had more in the weapons category than clothing. Then again, they had left behind everything that had Eurocorp logos on it, which meant most things- simple tees, long-sleeves, cargos, jeans, and their leather coats with the patches ripped off were about all that was left.

"_Scanning for civilian listening devices," _Kilo's DART announced. Merit waited silently, until the younger agent gave the all-clear. _"All devices within range breached."_ They would be getting nothing but a loop of information, and if anyone caught on, his chip would alert him.

Merit wrapped the other male up from behind as he tried to unpack. "We can do that later," he said, chin falling onto Kilo's shoulder.

"You wanna talk about what we're gonna do?" the other asked. "I had some ideas…"

Kilo could feel the smile against his neck. "Not the kindda activity I had in mind at the moment." He kissed along the back of Kilo's neck, undoing the younger's trenchcoat and slipping it off, tossing it to a chair at the small table. Spinning Kilo around, he pressed their lips together, fingers drifting under his shirt to feel surprisingly smooth skin- he supposed it paid not to get banged up all the damn time.

Clothes started to come off- Merit's coat, then both their shirts- and the elder moved them towards the bed. Kilo crawled back on his elbows towards the center, watching as Merit crawled after him, _stalking _in a manner, eyes hungry. "Want you Miles," he all but growled out, his voice pure sex that went straight to Kilo's dick.

All the same, the raven-haired agent gave him an apprehensive look as Merit slinked over top of him, urging him to lay back. "Jules, I… I want to, I just…" Kilo bit his lower lip.

Merit tilted his head, hovering there a few moments before he caught on to what the other man was trying to get out. "You're a virgin? Seriously Kilo?" The younger blushed, eyes downcast. "Hey." Merit grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "There ain't nothin' wrong with that, ok?" When the man nodded, Merit smiled. "I'm honored to be your first Miles."

Kilo surged up, kissing the brunette as he wrapped his arms around him. Growing up within the syndicate, he knew nothing else other than Eurocorp, training, and the like. Granted, other agents went out, had their own lives and such. He was never that way though, even when Jack got him his apartment, Kilo was rarely there. He threw himself into his work, even more than the senior agents like Merit did.

He'd known that Merit had his share of girlfriends- and rumor held the occasional male companion in there. Perhaps that was one of the many reasons Kilo had never told the man how he felt. Merit was known as a player around the offices, but Kilo at least knew better than _that_. Sure, Merit had the looks for it, but the man didn't play around. He would have bragged about it otherwise, like some other agents did. It wasn't uncommon to find people who would want to date you just for being an agent- it was quite the attractive job description.

"I'll take care of you," Merit assured, pulling him from his thoughts. Kilo nodded, accepting the gentle kisses he was offered. His tongue snaked inside Merit's mouth and he smiled against his lips at the approving sound from his elder partner.

Kilo lay back, following the other man without question. He'd been doing it for years now and there was comfort in letting Merit take the lead. The things being done to him was like a fire, burning hot under his skin and making him feel alive in ways he couldn't describe.

It was a slow, sensual pace Merit set, taking his time to show his young partner just what making love was all about. "There's sex… and then there's _this_, Kilo," he whispered in his ear before slipping his fingers inside of him. Kilo gasped in surprise and when Merit calmed him into relaxing, he felt pleasure course through him.

Merit skillfully took him apart and put him back together again. By the time he was inside of Kilo, the younger agent felt like he'd found heaven. When he came there were bright lights behind his eyes and all he could feel was bliss. His vision managed to focus on Merit who was holding himself up still on wobbly limbs, smiling softly when he met Kilo's gaze.

"Y'alright, Miles?"

Kilo chuckled a bit, not missing the shiver that went down Merit's spine and Kilo realized they were still connected. "More than alright," he replied, causing the brunette to smile and nod. After pulling out, Merit went to stand and get a cloth to clean them up. The younger snatched his wrist though and when Merit looked down at him, Kilo smiled. "I love you Jules," he admitted.

Merit blinked in surprise but then smiled back. He returned to hovering over top of the younger male. "Yeah?" he inquired. When Kilo nodded, the smile grew. "Love you too Miles." He claimed Kilo's lips, drinking him all in.

Neither was sure what they were going to do with their lives, but in that moment it didn't matter. They had each other, and that meant more than anything. Tomorrow could wait.

* * *

"Agent Kilo," the man on his chip-link spoke. "How interesting to hear from you."

"_Former_ agent," Kilo corrected. Granted, he may have been marked for death by Eurocorp but he still had an agent-level chip and training, so most people would still say it was a title well-afforded. It also made him extremely valuable.

"Perhaps," the man mused. "Agent Merit... What is your involvement in this?"

Merit was leaning on the opposite alley wall. They'd gone into the Downzone- much to the older agent's displeasure- before daring to work their leads and contact someone who could put them through to a major player in the terrorist organization CONFA, a man going by the codename Cipher. "Just a former Eurocorp agent, like Kilo."

"And just what is it the two of you are offering?"

Kilo pulled a partial file from his memory stores, sending it to the other man. "What you're looking at is the murder of my parents and my own abduction at 18 months old. Ordered by one Jack Denham, former CEO of Eurocorp."

That seemed to grab the terrorist's attention. "You have access to more data like this?"

Kilo's grin was positively feral. "Much more."

"We can hand you Eurocorp's dirty little secrets," Merit added. "Classified mission logs, top secret R&D. Lots of things that the public would react... _negatively _to."

"So what do you say?" Kilo asked. "We have an arrangement?"

There was a pause before Cipher asked, "Why are you both so willing to step forward now?"

"Because now we know the truth," Kilo spoke through grit teeth. "Jack Denham stole our lives, buried our memories, made us _slaves _of the system. But we're free now. And we're gonna watch it all _burn._"

Another pause and Kilo looked up as Merit stepped into his space, smiling softly at him. It was both filled with mischief and desire, and Kilo couldn't help but feel more balanced with him there, especially after his minor outburst.

"Alright," the CONFA leader spoke. "We'll get you out of New York within the next 48. Looking forward to meeting you both. Cipher out."

Kilo and Merit both disconnected, and the former took a deep breath. "That's it I guess," Kilo spoke softly. "It's done." They were going to be revolutionaries now- or terrorists, depending on who you talked to. Really, what choice did they have? Going to another syndicate like Wulf, Aspari, or Cayman-Global would just mean being controlled all over again. After everything they'd been through, neither man could go back.

That meant either attempting to live normal lives- be it in New York or elsewhere- getting regular jobs and trying to drift under the radar, _or _they could use what they'd been given- all their training, their military-grade chips- and fight back. Their knowledge and skills could help cripple the same syndicates like Eurocorp that stole their lives away. Not such a hard decision really.

"Come on Kilo," his lover murmured, brushing a kiss on his lips. "Let's get out of here." Kilo answered by giving him a kiss in return.

* * *

Back at the motel, Merit steered his new lover towards the bed. Kilo found himself laid out with the brunette on top of him and smirked. "I think I like where this is going," he mused. Merit only laughed, shaking his head before diving in for a kiss. It was wet and wanting and full of passion.

"Jules?" he asked, soft and breathless as they parted for air. "Sync chips with me?"

Merit looked at him in shock. For Kilo to suggest such a thing… There was a lot of trust and intimacy involved with syncing chips. It was the equivalent of being able to look inside the other's mind at any time, to share data, to be completely open to the other. "You'd want me like that?"

Kilo smiled up at him. "Want all of you- all that you are or will be. I've always accepted you Merit. I trust you with my life when I've never trusted anyone else on my six. So yeah, I'd like to sync our chips, to give you everything I am."

Such committed words may have had Merit running for the hills if they'd come from anyone else. He may not have played the field as much as his co-workers seemed to think, but he still had never been looking for anything permanent before. With Kilo though, it was different.

"You've been the only partner over the years I've worked with that I can say I didn't feel like I had to keep you away from my blind spots," Merit admitted, and for him that was saying something. By the expression on Kilo's face, he knew it too. "To have that connection with you? Yeah, Miles. I'll sync with you."

He leaned down, kissing Kilo softly before putting their foreheads together. Sliding to the bed, he pulled Kilo so they were lying on their sides, wrapped in each other's arms. Merit didn't even hesitate, sending the code to Kilo's chip.

The young agent saw the lines of code in the corner of his vision, his DART chip condensing it to its program name: _Mate Bond 3.0_. Kilo smiled softly, tilting his head to kiss Merit as he accepted the file, downloading it to his chip while a similar file was sent back to Merit. He could feel Merit smiling into the kiss, knowing the moment his own file was accepted.

They broke off the kiss, a comfortable warmth passing along their nerve endings as their neural cortexes were unlocked to the other. There was a sensation brushing along their minds that felt like a foreign presence. Their senses didn't react negatively though, rather they melted into them, stretching and adapting as they embraced one another.

"_Integration with Agent Merit's DART chip successful… We belong."_

/End


End file.
